The Entity
by GhostWhispererJimel
Summary: Melinda gets kidnapped in the middle of the night. Jim does everything he can to find her, but will he be too late? Or will it be his life that's taken instead?
1. Behind you

Author's note: Totally different storyline, guys. It's gonna take a while to get used to. Some people will not be in this story that were in my other story. And there will be new characters as well. You'll have to read to see what I've changed, and whether or not I've changed it for the better. :)

Night had fallen, and the entire house was dark; everything except for the hall light that Melinda kept on at night for Kyle. The boys were sleeping peacefully in their toddler beds, which they had no problem escaping from in the middle of the night. Melinda was sleeping soundly, too, in her bed, by herself. Jim had taken an extra shift at work, so he wouldn't be home until two in the morning. All snoring aside, downstairs you could hear several pairs of footsteps- footstep, after footstep, after footstep. These unusually quiet footsteps, surprisingly, had woken Kyle. His eyes jolted open and he sat up in a frantic panic. His eyes ran around the room, as if he was looking for someone. He grabbed the ends of his feety pajamas and breathed in deeply. He continued to look around. He saw nothing but darkness. His brother was sleeping heavily through the night. His toddler bed laid right next to his brother's. Kyle let go of his feet, and clutched tightly to his bear. His teeth started to chatter. He knew, in his heart, that something was wrong.

"John?" Kyle whispered, quietly. No answer.

"John?" He said, louder this time.

His brother remained asleep. Kyle watched his brother drooling and shuddered to himself; disgusted by his brother's lack of intelect.

Kyle stood up. "John!" He whispered, loudly, throwing his bear at John to wake him up.

It didn't work. His brother was still asleep, and worse, his bear was in his brother's bed now. Kyle gave in, and pushed down the gate of his toddler bed. He got out and, quietly, slipped his way downstairs. He was very careful and very silent. He needed to make sure he was agile enough so he wouldn't be caught. He tiptoed halfway down the stairs and peered around the wall to look into the kitchen and living room. He gasped in fear when he saw two men downstairs. They were dressed in black and they appeared to be looking for something. Kyle scrruied his was back upstairs attempting to wake up his brother. He ran right up to the gate of John's toddler bed and whispered in his ear. Up on his toes, he called out to him.

"John!" He said, at a low volume.

It didn't matter any more. His brother wasn't waking up any time soon. Kyle tiptoed quickly to Melinda's room, turning the doorknob with great care. He left the door ajar to a certain degree and walked over to his mother's side of the bed. He got down on his knees and tapped her shoulder.

"Momma?" He said, quietly, his voice shaking in fear.

Melinda awoke slowly, but sprung up when she saw the terrified look on her son's face.

"Kyle?" Melinda sat up. "What's the matter K.C?" Melinda rubbed her eyes for a moment, then she lifted her son onto the bed.

Kyle breathed in deeply and wiped the tears away from his eyes. "There's someone downstairs." He whispered.

"What!?" Melinda said, at a moderately loud volume.

Kyle put his finger to his lips." Shhhh." He whispered, trying to quiet Melinda.

"'Someone' someone? or ... a ghost someone?" She asked, relatively scared. Kyle isn't too afraid of ghosts, so Melinda was pretty sure she knew the answer.

Kyle leaned in. "'Someone' someone."

Kyle started to cry again. Melinda held her son close. "It's okay, baby ... I'm gonna take care of it." She looked at her son. "Go back into your room and lock the door. I'll get you when everything is okay." Kyle nodded his head and did exactly what he was told.

Melinda got out of bed and pulled out a bat from underneath the bed. She breathed in deeply and slowly walked downstairs.

Each footstep made her more and more frightened. She took about four steps down and then stopped. She looked back around at the door that led to her sons' room. She waited to continued down the stairs until she heard the door lock. She took each step very slowly, breathing in and out, every other step. When she made it halfway down the stairs, she looked around the wall to into the kitchen and living room. No one was there, and the entire house was silent. No one appeared to be in the house, but she decided to double-check, just for the safety of her kids. She looped around the couch and peered into the kitchen from afar. Before she entered the kitchen, she walked toward the living room closet. She readied her bat as she flung the door open. No one was there. She took another good look and closed the door. She walked, stealthily, into the kitchen and looked out the back window. And, still, no one was there. She turned, quickly, to check the dining room, where no one was. She had searched the entire downstairs, and not a single person was to be found. She walked back into the living room and lowered her stance with the bat. She moved the curtain on the door to look outside and, still, she found no one. She took one more good look at the dark street, just to be safe. No one appeared to be downstairs. Melinda thought it was just Kyle's imagination. Or maybe he really saw a ghost and he didn't know it. Everything seemed fine. Just as Melinda was ready to go upstairs, she felt a huge force- someone pulling at her hair. There really was someone in the house! The man grabbed her hair and threw Melinda against the wall, making her bleed. The bat flew out of her hand, and she went after it. She crawled over to the bat and threw it at him. When he fell to the ground, she got up. She took a couple steps back, and then another man grabbed her ankles and pulled, making Melinda fall to the ground. She resisted being dragged by holding onto the wall. The man let go of one of her ankles and grabbed her hair. He then let go of the other ankle and grabbed her arms. He lifted her up and threw her onto the kitchen counter tops with great force. Before she could blink, he pulled out a knife from his back pocket and went straight for Melinda's neck. She grabbed the handle with both hands and the two had a struggle. Melinda could feel him getting ready to put more force, so she reached over and grabbed and ice pick, that was sitting on the counter, and stabbed his neck. The man dropped his knife and screamed out in pain. Melinda scattered her way off of the counter and ran for the phone. Behind her, came the first man. He, brutally, grabbed her neck and threw her onto the dining room table. He also pulled out a knife and, this time, aimed for her chest. She rolled over and dodged the first attack, as well as the second. Then, without thought, she elbowed him in the face. She tried to get up when the other man came up and grabbed her neck. She positioned herself and swung her leg up to kick him in the face. He fell back to the ground, and Melinda jolted up. The first man came back up and chased after her with a knife. He jumped on the table to catch her, but Melinda threw a chair at him. He fell back down. She ran back into the living room, and the second man grabbed her neck and threw her against the wall- not once, or twice, but three times. She fought back and kneed him in the groin. He cried out in pain. She ran off and the first man chased after her. She stopped and grabbed the lamp, then she swung it, hitting him in the head. This time, he didn't fall. He came closer and decked her. She fell to the ground. She started to crawl away, but the second man grabbed her hair and bashed her head into the coffee table, knocking her out. The last thing she saw, before everything turned black, was one of the men taking off his black mask. The other man grabbed her neck and held his hands there until she blacked out.

Author's note: OOOOOOHHHHHHH, don't hate me yet guys. It might have a happy ending ... Keep reading to find out!


	2. What happened

Author's note: Here it is, guys. You might be a little disappointed in this chap... Mel's not in this one. Sry, but I think you'll still love it...It's really cute. :)

Jim turned off the radio to his car and turned the corner to his street. He drove down only two houses and heard the loud cries of several sirens. He slowed his car down and pulled up to the front of his house where he saw two ambulances and four police cars. He took a quick look at the house and saw the whole lot sectioned off with yellow tape and the front door was wide open. He turned off the engine and got out of the car. He ran up to the house, fast as lightning. He attempted to cross the tape, but a police officer stopped him.

"Step back, sir! This zone is sectioned off--Crime scene." he officer stated, holding out his hand to Jim.

Jim was in a sever state of shock. "Wh-what!? Look..." Jim pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and showed his license to the police officer. "This-this is my house! What's going on?"

The officer took a good look at the address on Jim's license. He took a deep breath in. "One of your neighbors called 911 saying they heard screaming in the middle of the night. We talked to them a minute ago. They said after they hung up they saw two men exiting your house." He breathed in deep again. "There seem to be signs of forced entry, but we can't say for sure if anything is missing." The police officer turned back around to the house.

Jim's eyes widened. "Oh, my god. My wife! My-my kids--my kids were in there!" Jim stuttered. "Wh-wh-where are they? Are they okay?" He asked, frantically.

"We found your sons locked in their room upstairs. We tried to get them to talk to us through th door, but they wouldn't budge. We we're gonna take the door down, but they're already in shock...Maybe you can talk them out?" The officer asked, intently.

Jim nodded. "Wh-what about my wife?" Jim asked, petrified.

The police officer said nothing. He just held the tape up so Jim could cross. Jim, quickly crossed the tape and ran up to the front of the house. He was hesitant to go inside. He was terrified that he would find Melinda's dead body on the floor. The thought was too much to bear. Eventually, he stepped inside. He stopped in the doorway and looked around. He saw the tow bloody knives, the bloody icepick, the broken chair, the broken table, he saw dishes on the counter scattered and broken everywhere. What he saw was terrible, but he didn't see Melinda. He was relieved, but only to a slight degree because what he saw downstairs might not have been as scary as what he would see upstairs. He took deep breaths in as he walked upstairs. Everything seemed fine upstairs. He headed straight for the boys' room.

Jim knocked on the door. "Boys? It's dad...It's okay, no one's gonna hurt you here...okay? Come on out." Jim waited a moment. Moments later, John opened the door. Jim noticed the petrified look on his son's face as he opened the door very slowly.

"Are-are they gone?" John asked, shaking.

"Who? Is who gone?" Jim asked, aware of John's fear.

"The bad men who took mom away." John said, starting to cry.

Jim didn't answer. Instead, he said, "Where's your brother?"

John stood there a moment before pointing to their toy box. Jim walked over to their toy box and got down on his knees. Then he opened the toy box, where he saw Kyle holding onto his bear, crying his eyes out.

Jim looked at his son. "What happened, K.C?" Jim asked, putting his hand on Kyle's shoulder.

Kyle just shook his head. He didn't want to talk. Jim picked up his son and wiped away his buried his face in Jim's shirt. He still didn't say a word. Jim looked at John, hoping he would know what happened. He shook his head, too.

"Kyle...do you know where your momma is?"

Kyle still said nothing. Jim decided to try a new approach.

"Alright...that's fine. You don't have to talk about it...Can you tell me what you did today?" He asked, setting his son on his lap.

Kyle wiped away his tears. "Momma woke me up and got me breakfast."

"Really? What'd you eat?"

"Oatmeal." He smiled. "It was cinnamon. I liked it, but John didn't 'cuz he thought it was lumpy. Then We got ready for school, while momma made our lunch. It was peanut butter and jelly." He said, smiling again. He stopped crying at that point. "Then we got back and we had to get ready for soccer. Momma was rushing us because we were late." He laughed.

"Did you win?"

"Yeah! Four to two! Momma was so happy for us that she took us out for ice cream. I got vanilla and John got chocolate. Then we went back to momma's shop...Auntie Delia said she was happy we won, too. Momma took us home and we watched TV together. Then she let us ride our bikes until it got dark. We had dinner after that." He kept smiling.

"What'd you have?"

"Momma made meatloaf. It was really good. She made it with 'mash-to-patoes' and carrots. I didn't like the carrots, though, because they tasted like vegetable. Then momma gave us a bath and put me in my jammies..." He trailed off.

"What happened next?"

"...Momma told me that she loved me...Then I fell asleep..."

"Did you have a bad dream, again?"

"No...I heard...people...downstairs. And...I went to get Momma."

"What'd you tell her?"

"That someone was in the house..."

"And? What'd she do?"

"She was brave...she told me she'd take care of it...she wanted me to come in here and lock the door. She said she'd come and get us when it was over..."

"Did she come back?"

"...No..." Kyle started to cry again. "That's when the screams started. And then they stopped."

Jim wiped Kyle's tears away. "Do you know where she is, Kyle?"

"I can't--I can't see her, daddy. Why can't I see momma?" He asked, frustrated and crying.

"That's a good thing, bud. You're momma;s still out there...and your daddy's gonna find her." Jim held his son. "Now...you, your brother and I are going to go downstairs...we're going to talk to a man...okay? You're gonna tell him what you just told me...and I'll be there with you."

"Is-is momma going to be okay?"

"You don't have to worry about that, bud. We're all gonna be fine."

"Are you gonna find the nasty men?" John asked, butting in.

Jim hesitated. "Yes. I'm gonna find them, and they are giving your mom back...whether they like it or not!" Jim said, almost yelling loud enough to sound forceful, but not enough to scare the boys. "We're gonna get your mom back!"

Author's note: :') Awww, see what he did there? Jim is so smart! Don't worry, Melinda is in Chapter 3. :D


	3. Vitamin H

Author's note: Yay, some Melinda in this story...it's not too pleasant though...I warn you, this may be too much of a chapter to handle if you are a HUGE Melinda fan...I warned you. :/

When Melinda awoke, she gradually lifted open her eyelids. She could feel pressure being forced upon her. When her eyes had opened fully, everything was hazy. THe room she was in was incredibly dark and the air was stifling. She felt as if she, almost, couldn't breathe. Although she did not move, her eyes danced around the room. There were no windows, no doors, no lights, no colors, no air...no one. She paniced when she heard footsteps. But, she didn't hear them nearby...she heard them...above her! Where was she? She couldn't understand. She tried to get up, but her body wouldn't allow her. Even the slighest movement was impossible, for her entire body had gone numb. She couldn't even lift a pinky or turn her head. She felt a thousand pounds heavy. Eventually, the footsteps disappeared, bcoming graudually softer and softer, until they were no more. Suddenly, a sliver of light shown through from above her. She stared in awe for a moment, then paniced again when the footsteps came back and got louder. As each step got louder, so did the whispers that came from out of nowhere. After a few seconds, the footsteps had stopped, but the voices did not. She tried to listen to the voices, but they were incoherent. The next thing she heard was an incredibly loud creaking. When she heard the creaking, the sliver of light got bigger and bigger. It shown through and startled her retinas. She closed her eyes in shock and reopened them later. The light had dilated her pupils from its outgrown size. When her eyes were adjusted, she could see more of the objects around her. SHe found that she liked it better when it was dark. All she saw was dust and spider webs. In the corner was a built-in, poorly constructed shower. In another corner were the bodies of two people holding hands. Their bodies had already decayed into skeletons. Melinda was disgusted and terrified all at the same time. She could see rope that tied to the ceiling and floor. She noticed her legs were tied, but her arms were not. From abover her, was a door that opened down. She was pretty certain that she was in a cellar. From that door came the shadows of two people. They were the voices and the footsteps that came from above her. She breathed in deep, in fear, and started to choke on the dust floating in the air.

"Don't you think she's been in here long enough?" One man asked.

"Why? Asked the other.

"She's gonna die in here, Jake... that wasn't the plan."

"She's not gonna die. So what--it's a little stuffy in here... but it's not suffocating! Besides, you shouldn't care; this has nothing to do with you."

"Maybe not now... but it becomes my problem, eventually."

"...Get over it!" He whispered.

The man, who was named 'Jake', was walking in front of the other man. The man behind him wasled in with a plate that had a sandwich on it. He set it down on the floor, away from Melinda. 'Jake' walked over to Melinda and picked up her limp, numb body. The other man followed quickly behind, and placed her wrists inside the loops of the rope that hung from the ceiling. He refastened the ropes, making sure they were tight--both on her ankles and wrists. Melinda's head drooped down, as she hung there. Melinda opened her mouth to talk, but couldn't.

"Oh, relax... it's not what you think...it's mayonnaise." The man, 'Jake', said joking around.

"Dude, shut up." Said the other man.

'Jake' walked over to the other man and grabbed his shirt. "Why?" He said, violently. "I'm just havin' a little fun, Stevie." He said, changing his demeanor.

'Jake' let go of 'Stevie's shirt and walked back over to Melinda. He lifted her head with his middle finger and looked at her in the eyes.

"My, how beautiful you are." He chuckled to himself as he carressed Melinda. Examing her, he noticed the wedding ring on Melinda's finger.

"Oh... what do we have here?" He said, lifting her finger.

He played with the ring for a moment, before yanking it off of her finger. He held it up to the light from upstairs and examined it.

"Cheap glass, I'm guessing...think it's worth much, Steven?"

"How should I know?" He said with an attitude.

Melinda felt she could move a little bit. She, just barely, stretched out her arm to reach for her wedding ring. 'Jake' didn't notice her physical movement and turned around from Melinda. He threw the ring to Steven who, just barely, caught it. Steven stood there a moment, confused.

"Sell it..." 'Jake' said to Steven, "... She won't be needing it again." He laughed.

Steven, reluctantly, did what he was asked and walked back upstairs. Melinda's eyes motioned back over to the lovesick skeletons and 'Jake' chuckled in surprise.

"I take it you've met Derek and Heidi... yeah... it didn't work out between us... I guess you cold say we had... 'creative differences'." He chuckled again. "They saw themselves as alive..." He looked back at Melinda. "...And I... saw them dead." He began walking away. "But enough about that... tell me about you." He said, smiling mirthlessly.

Melinda said nothing.

'Jake' turned back around to Melinda. She was not happy(obviously). He walked back over to her slowly and lifted her head again.

"Aww... cat got your tongue?" He laughed. "That's fine... don't talk to me. I don't care... just promise me that you'll moan when I ask you to." He laughed, hysterically. ''You know... you don't really have to tell me anything... I know plenty about you." He cleared his throat. "Melinda Irene Gordon, 33. Married to James Alden Clancy, 35. You were born January 27th, 1979 to Beth Karen Gordon, maiden name Ewards, an Paul Tames Eastmen. Your mother was married to Thomas Hector Gordon, shortly after your father was incarcerated for the murder of ten-year-old Michael Wilkins. He was innocent, of course. Both Tom and Paul are currently deceased and your mother works at a flower shop in Hamilton, although she use to be a nurse. You married your husband Semptember 23, 2005. Your husband is a paramedic stationed for Driscoll county. His father, Aiden James Clancy, is currently deceased and his mother, Faith Belle Clancy, Maiden name Stuart, is unemployed and lives quite a few miles away in Weston. August 12, four years ago, you delivered two healthy baby boys. John Alexander Clancy, and Kyle Benjamin Clancy. Your sons play soccer and are currently enrolled at Springton for preschoolers, altough they are, at least, at a fifth grade level. John is abit of a back talker and Kyle has Asthma. They both learned sign language from you and your husband last year and very fluent in it. You own your own business in Grandview... 'Same As It Never Was'. And... you talk to ghosts... Did I miss something?" He said, pacing the room.

Melinda was astonished and freaked out all at the same times. She was starting to get really scared.

"Oh, I did miss something... your mother and grandmother can see them too. Your mother pushes her gift away, while you embrace it. Your grandmother, however, died when you were a teenager and you've been an outcast ever since. It's a shame...MaryAnn... couldn't be here for you now. She was the only one that loved you. I don't even think your husband and kids give a damn that you're missing."

Melinda attacked him in anger and he jumped back.

"Oh... we can't have that." He walked over to a table and picked up a syringe. "It's time for your daily dose of Vitamin H... Mel'." He laughed. He injected her with the liquid inside the syringe. Several seconds later, her body went numb again. He put the syringe down. "Now just relax... this won't take long."

When her vision began to fade, she could feel 'Jake's hands at her pelvis and he felt him unbuttoning her pants. She knew what he was getting ready to do...but she was just glad that she would pass out before it happened.

Author's note: I warned you... don't ask me what 'vitamin H' is... you'll find out later. :0


	4. Hopeful hearts

Author's note: This is where we meet new people. Well...they aren't new to me, but still. Anyway, in this chapter, we are introduced to Ned's new wife, Miranda, their son Leo, and Delia's son Leon. Just wait...I haven't told you the back-stories.

Back-stories: Long story short, Ned and Miranda met at Rockland U. Miranda wanted to get a good education because she had to provide for her son, Leo. Miranda was 17 when he was born, so Leo is now around six. Ned and Miranda fell in love, and Ned felt he was ready to support her and Leo. They've been married about 3 weeks.:) Now, Leon. After Ned went off to college, and after Melinda and Jim had twins, Delia started to feel old. (can you blame her?) She started looking into adoption and she fell in love with this premature baby boy, who was only two days old. She is now Leon's adoptive mother. Leon is now two.

Ok, so...new characters....AND some old characters. Detective Blair will be in this story a little bit....Beth and Faith will also be returning....and a, hopefully, familiar character will also be returning...anyone remember Detective Campbell? He's a BIG character in this story...it'll still be a while before he's introduced, though. Oh, and we get a little ghosty in this chapter. Anyway, I've taken up enough of your time....Enjoy chapter 4.

It was now about 7:30 in the morning. The sun had just finished rising, and it was very bright outside. The police had left at around 5:45 in the morning and the boys crashed about two hours before that. John had crawled into the rocking chair in the living room and Kyle was resting, peacefully, on Jim's lap on the living room sofa. Delia and Eli came around 3:30, and Ned and Miranda brought Leo and Leon shortly after. They were all exhausted. Jim had been talking with Detective Blair until about two hours after the kidnapping. Jim had the volume on the TV very low, so he wouldn't wake the kids.

"Anything new?" Delia asked entering the living room from the kitchen. She carried in three cups of coffee and gave one to Eli, Ned, and Miranda. She walked back into the kitchen and picked up two more cups, handing one to Jim, and keeping one for herself.

"No.'' Jim sighed. "I don't even think they're looking yet. They can't file a missing persons report until after 48 hours...Which I think is ridiculous. I mean it's not like she's some teenager that ran away. There was a fight...she's nowhere to be found, her cellphone is still here, and she wouldn't just disappear...someone drew blood in that kitchen, and if it's Melinda's, I swear to god..." Jim trailed off after raising his voice. He put his hand to his face to stop himself from crying.

Delia sat down next to Jim, trying to comfort him. "It was a lot of blood." Jim said, his eyes watering. ''I...I need to know that she's okay. I just--" He breathed in deep. "I want her back."

"I know...We all want to know that she's okay... She'll come back, Jim... I know it's hard for you... but you have to have hope, especially for John and Kyle... Your kids look up to you. Children pick up on things their parents do... you have to be strong for them."

"I know... I know." Jim sniffled. Moments later, John woke up from his slumber.

"Daddy?" He sat up and rubbed his eyes. "I had a bad dream."

Jim looked at Delia, who gave him a 'you-know-what-to-do' look. "Why don't you come over here and tell me the dream you had?"

John got up and sat next to Jim. "I was walking to school... and this scary man was following me. I tried pretending her wasn't there, but then he tried to talk to me. So I ran...and he chased after me. I don't remember if he caught me or not..."

"Were you scared?" Jim asked.

John nodded his head. "What does it mean, daddy?" John turned to his father for an answer.

Jim ran his fingers through John's caramel-blonde hair. "It means... that your human. Everyone gets afraid. It's a normal thing. Tell me something... why did you run in your dream?"

"I guess...because I hoped I would get away from him?"

"Right. People are afraid all the time...but whenever something bad happens...you have to have hope. As long as you hope, you won't be afraid for long."

"So...if I hope that mommy comes back...she will?"

Jim didn't want to give John a false sense of hope. "No...but the more you hope, the less afraid you'll be of what ends up happening...in any situation."

"Okay." John smiled. He knew what Jim meant, and he wasn't afraid anymore.

Jim woke up Kyle from his sleep. "C'mon... you guys have school. Go upstairs and get ready." John ran up the stairs while Kyle followed steadily behind.

"I'm proud of you, Jim." Delia said with a smile on her face. Jim said nothing. He just smiled a half-smile back and walked upstairs.

Delia sighed, feeling for Jim. She turned to her son and his wife. She looked at them for a moment. "We gotta do something." She said, firmly and demanding.

"There's nothing we can do. What power do we have to fix all this?" Ned said, pessimistically.

Miranda stretched out her arm and smacked Ned on his chest. "Ned! How can you say that!?"

Ned stuttered for a moment before Eli opened his mouth to speak.

"He's right..." He stood up and began pacing the room. "We don't know where she is, we don't know who took her, we don't know if she's even alive... so what right do we have to step in the way?"

"Yeah, but--" Eli interrupted Delia.

"This isn't a supernatural situation! We aren't the sidekicks that can step in and save the day this time!...This is a situation that has to be handled by the police...There's nothing we can do...not this time..."

Eli's words, sadly, rang true to everyone in the room. He sat back down and everyone went silent.

"I...Uh, I should take Leon home...and you should probably get Leo ready for school." Delia said, to no one in particular. She walked over to Ned, who was holding Leon in his arms. She patted her son's head and then picked him up. Just as Delia was heading out the door, a shrill scream came from above.

Everyone that sat downstairs, quickly got up and ran upstairs, toward the source of the scream. They found themselves in the doorway of the boys' room, where they saw Kyle, frozen in fear, standing in front of his empty, open toy box.

Jim ran in from his bedroom. He ran right past everyone to get to his son.

"K.C...Kyle, what's wrong?" He asked, frantically.

"It was in there! I saw it! I saw it!" Kyle screamed out.

"What was in there?" Jim asked, in a panic.

"Was it a spider!?" John asked, interrupting.

"What was it?" Jim said, ignoring John.

"It was awful!'' Kyle said, still not answering Jim.

Jim looked at Delia, and motioned for everyone to go back downstairs. They did what he wanted. Jim grabbed his son's shoulders and turned him around to face him.

"Kyle... was there something in there?" He asked, calmly.

"The toy box..."

"What? What about the toy box?"

"It was filled with..." He gulped. "...Body parts..." He whispered.

"What?"

"A head, and arms, legs...the heart...it was awful, daddy!" Kyle said, crying.

Jim comforted his son. He told him that everything would be okay, although he couldn't guarantee it. He walked back downstairs, where everyone was waiting.

"You can all leave now." Jim said, abruptly.

Everyone started out the door, with Eli at the end. Just before he could get out the door, Jim grabbed his arm. Eli turned to Jim, who looked furious and worried.

He looked at Eli and, sternly, said: "We need to talk."

Author's note: :O Confused yet? Oh, you will be. :P


	5. 20 questions

**Author's note:** Omg, more Melinda time. Not too pleasant though. Oh, and we get a little more ghosty in this chapter! One last thing...in this chapter we learn something about Melinda that we never knew...something that Jim didn't even know. :O

* * *

When Melinda woke up, she was unbelievably sore. She looked around the room, not remembering where she was or what had happened. Soon after, she remembered everything. She remembered the fight... she remembered the rape...the last thing she remembered after being brutally raped, was 'Jake' putting her in the shower and leaving. She remembered lying on the ground, crying her eyes out, repeating the same thing over and over again: "I want to go home." She remained tied up where she had been before. She had complete mobilization when she awoke, so she struggled to break free. She was too weak, though. Plus, she wouldn't know where to go after she was freed. She winced in pain as she moved the rope about. She looked up to see the rope burns on her wrists. She quickly, looked back down, when the door that led above her was pulled down. 'Jake' came trotting down the stairs, and looked directly at Melinda. She noticed that his nose had been bleeding. Just then, she remembered waking, or coming to, when he was raping her. She remembered fighting him off, making his nose bleed and, possibly, breaking it. But, the fight didn't last long; 'Jake' hit Melinda over the head to knock her out. She didn't know what to do next. Besides when she was, initially, kidnapped, what was the only time he used violent force. He wasn't just some psycho... he was a dangerous criminal. At one point, this guy believed he was making love to the woman he was taking advantage of. While Melinda felt violated, 'Jake' felt, what he called, 'satisfied'. Melinda hoped that he wasn't 'coming back for more'.

"I got a question." 'Jake' blurted out. "Because I know there's nothing we don't know about each other..." He started to chuckle. "Well... there's nothing _I_ don't know about _you_...except this..." He looked Melinda directly in the eyes. He saw contempt fill in her eyes... but he didn't care. He got up close to Melinda. "Were you a virgin... before you met your husband?...Just curious." He smiled mirthlessly. Melinda said nothing. "Still won't talk to me?...fine..." He walked over to the table. The same table that had a syringe laying on it, now had several other objects. Several bottles of different shapes and sizes, rags, several other things that she couldn't identify, and a knife. A freshly sharpened knife that 'Jake' picked up, forcefully. He walked back over to Melinda. "Now... I'll ask you again..." He pointed the knife at her stomach, making sure the tip of the knife made contact with her body. Suddenly, 'Jake's' demeanor changed. "...Were you a virgin before you met your husband?" He said, quietly, but forcefully. Melinda didn't answer right away, but she _did_ answer.

"...No..." She whispered.

"I'm sorry...I didn't hear you." He said, sarcastically.

"No." She said, angrily.

"...And she speaks." He laughed. "Was it your college boyfriend?"

"Yes and no."

"Oh...so there were guys before him?"

"...Yes..."

"And how many were there, exactly?"

"...Four?"

"How many of them did you have consensual intercourse with?"

"...Two..."

"And...does Jim...known this?"

She remained silent for a moment. 'Jake' pressed the knife in closer. "...No..." She whispered again.

"...That's what I though." He set the knife down. ''Did you love them?"

"I wasn't _in love_ with them--"

"--But did you love them?"

"Not the way I love my husband."

He paced the room. "Why do you love your husband?"

"...I just do..."

He scoffed. "Whatever..." He said, starting to walk away. He stopped in his tracks and turned back around. He walked over to Melinda and, surprisingly, untied her. After he had gotten her free from all four ropes, she fell to the ground. All he did was walk away. Melinda laid there a moment, feeling repressed. She sat up and looked around. She looked at the rest of her body. There were bruises all over her abdomen. She thought she had a few cracked ribs because it hurt to move too much. Her ankle was sprained and her left arm was, definitely, broken. She felt a huge lump on her right cheek and she was pretty sure she had a black eye. She didn't know what to do with herself, so she just laid there and cried. She was a wreck, emotionally _and _ physically. All she could think about were her kids. She closed her eyes as she reminisced. She was her boys laughing and playing and enjoying themselves. It made her feel better, but when she opened her eyes, all she saw was the darkness that surrounded her, so she continued to cry until she fell asleep.

She was woken from that sleep by the sound of whistling. A faint whistling; but a whistling, no doubt. She looked around and found no one. She rubbed the dry tears off of her face and called out.

"Hello?" There was no answer. Suddenly, the skeletons in the corner of the room started to move. Their bones were rattling, and the whistling continued on. It was very eerie. "I can help you." It was almost routine for her to say that. The last thing she wanted to do, besides be raped, was help a spirit. How could she? She was trapped...but she felt obligated to help. Without warning, a chest slid across the floor and slammed against the wall. The lid of the chest began opening and closing on its own. The skeletons fell apart by the joint and laid there in a pile. Then, one by one, pieces of the skeletons flew into the chest. The lid opened each time a piece of the skeletons was being thrown in. Melinda got up and hobbled over to the side of the chest, watching the bones fly in. "Is this what happened to you?" She asked, the ghost that was nowhere to be found. "I...I can see you...and help you..." Melinda, suddenly, was overcome by pain in all of her joints. She collapsed to the ground, and cried out in agony. The ghost levitated the chest and threw all of the bones out, spilling them all over the floor. Then, the chest was, violently, thrown against the wall, shattering into several pieces. "You're...angry." She said, between each gasp. That's when the ghost appeared to Melinda. She was a teenage girl, who looked to be about fifteen years old. She was very beautiful; the standard blonde hair, blue eyes combo. Her beauty was under looked by Melinda because of the anger and rage on her face. "What happened?" She asked, again, exasperated.

"What's happening to you...that's what happened to me...it's only a matter of time..."

"Is that really how you died?"

"Inside...I died inside long before he killed me... he promised me my life back!"

"You need to cross over..."

"No! can't cross over until I waste that bastard!"

With that, the young girl disappeared. Melinda knew he was dangerous, but she didn't think he was capable of murder. She started back over to the chest, when she saw something underneath the table. She got down on her knees and looked underneath the table. Melinda noticed a false bottom to the floor. She pulled it open and saw, sitting inside the space, a loaded gun. She started at it for a moment, realizing that she was in more danger than she anticipated. She didn't move from that spot. She just sat there and stared.

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**Author's note:** Oooooh, getting juicy, right? Review, please!


	6. Give me a reason

**Author's note:** This chapter continues from chapter four. We get to see some good old Jim in this chapter. :) Enjoy! Don't forget to review!

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**Previously on "The Entity"**

**-Chapter 4-**

....Just as Delia was heading out the door, a shrill scream came from above.

Everyone that sat downstairs, quickly got up and ran upstairs, toward the source of the scream. They found themselves in the doorway of the boys' room, where they saw Kyle, frozen in fear, standing in front of his empty, open toy box.

Jim ran in from his bedroom. He ran right past everyone to get to his son.

"K.C...Kyle, what's wrong?" He asked, frantically.

"It was in there! I saw it! I saw it!" Kyle screamed out.

"What was in there?" Jim asked, in a panic.

"Was it a spider!" John asked, interrupting.

"What was it?" Jim said, ignoring John.

"It was awful!'' Kyle said, still not answering Jim.

Jim looked at Delia, and motioned for everyone to go back downstairs. They did what he wanted. Jim grabbed his son's shoulders and turned him around to face him.

"Kyle... was there something in there?" He asked, calmly.

"The toy box..."

"What? What about the toy box?"

"It was filled with..." He gulped. "...Body parts..." He whispered.

"What?"

"A head, and arms, legs...the heart...it was awful, daddy!" Kyle said, crying.

Jim comforted his son. He told him that everything would be okay, although he couldn't guarantee it. He walked back downstairs, where everyone was waiting.

"You can all leave now." Jim said, abruptly.

Everyone started out the door, with Eli at the end. Just before he could get out the door, Jim grabbed his arm. Eli turned to Jim, who looked furious and worried.

He looked at Eli and, sternly, said: "We need to talk."

**-Now Chapter 6-**

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Eli hesitated for a moment and then closed the door once everyone else was out. Jim let go of Eli's arm and walked over to the couch. Eli followed slowly behind.

"Something's up." Eli said, worried, "What is it?"

Jim sighed as he sat on the couch. He buried his head in his hands for a moment, and then looked at Eli. "Is there...someone here?" He asked, with urgency hidden in his voice.

"Well, I don't know. I usually wait until the speak to me before--"

"Eli...please...find out?" Jim said, his eyes watering.

Eli, reluctantly, called out. "Hello? Is someone here?" Jim gave Eli a look that said, "Well?". Eli shook his head. Jim sighed again. "Jim what's going on?"

Jim scoffed. "You act like haven't been here all morning...my wife is missing, Eli...that's what's going on! And there's a ghost that's haunting my son, and I can't do a damn thing about it because I don't know what to do!"

"Woah, woah, woah. Back up. Who's being haunted?"

"I don't know if he is, but I think he is."

"Alright...start from the beginning."

"Kyle's toy box... he said he saw..body parts...inside it."

"What does it mean?"

"Eli, I don't know what it means!" He said, raising his voice. "That's why I need you to figure it out and get whatever is haunting my son out of here!"

"Jim...you're under a lot of stress...do you think that maybe your just--"

"I am not imagining this. My son is in his room, scared out of his mind because of what he saw. A ghost is the last thing my family needs right now, and I sure as hell don't need you telling me that I'm imagining all of this!"

"I didn't say that, Jim...I was just suggesting that you take it easy."

"I...can't! I can't 'take is easy' until I know that she's okay! I won't be able to sleep at night, knowing that there's someone terrorizing my wife and there's a ghost terrorizing my son! It's all too much!"

"Then forget about Melinda."

Jim stood there frozen. He turned his head to look at Eli. Jim gave him a terrifying look, that Eli had never seen before.

"What?"

"...Look...the police are doing what they can to find Melinda...you're all the kids have right now...let the police do their job and forget about Melinda."

"How...can you say that?"

Kyle came tiptoeing down the stairs and stopped halfway down to listen to Eli and Jim's conversation.

"I love me kids, but don't you ever tell me to forget about Melinda. She's a smart, caring, beautiful...passionate woman...she's my wife...the mother of my children, and my best friend...I've been through everything with her. I've always been there for her, so why is this any different? I swore I'd stand by her forever...no matter what the odds, and I always have been...I refuse to stand by and let her be taken from me. So don't you dare say that to me...Give me a reason, Eli...Give me one good, freaking, reason for me to EVER think about forgetting Melinda...because nothing you say can make me change the way I feel about her...and the risks I'm willing to take for her."

Eli stood there, a moment, dumbfounded. "Jim...I'm sorry..." He said, wishing he hadn't opened his mouth.

"You should be." Jim shot Eli an angry look. "So, are you gonna help me or not?"

"...I can't... I'm sorry, Jim...I really am...but you gotta let this go..."

"Just get out." He whispered.

Eli hesitated, but he walked out the door, slamming it shut. Kyle quickly ran back upstairs and into his room. Jim walked over to the pictures, they had in the living room, of their family. He looked at them all for a while. He picked up a pictures with a circular frame. It was a picture of Melinda and Jim at their wedding. Tears started forming in his eyes. He set it down and picked up another picture, It was a picture of Melinda and Jim at Jim's birthday party. Melinda was seven months pregnant in the picture. The tears in Jim's eyes really started to well up. He set that one down and picked up another picture. It was Melinda in a hospital bed, holding her newborn sons. That's when the waterworks started. Jim began crying, but he wiped the tears away before they got out of control. He set the picture down and walked away. He walked into the kitchen and looked at the fridge. On it, was a note that read:

"Gone shopping. I'll pick up the kids after soccer.

Your dinner is in the green Tupperware container.

I'll see you when I get home. Don't work too hard.

I love you,

-Mel"

The note was left up there since the day before. Jim put his hand on the note and left it there for a moment before opening the fridge door.

The twins came running down the stairs, fully dressed, teeth brushed, hair combed, backpacks on. "Are we leaving now, daddy?" John asked, whimsically.

"...No...you don't have to go to school today...not if you don't want to." Jim said, somberly.

Kyle and John looked at each other, confused. They shrugged their shoulders and walked back upstairs, taking off their backpacks. Jim started taking things out of the fridge. It seemed as if he was making something for breakfast. After everything was set on the table, he walked back over to the television. He picked up the remote to the television and pressed the on/off button. He television was turned on with the volume on mute. He watched the soundless TV for a moment, but then turned it off in dismay. He sat down on the couch and just looked around. He pulled down the blanket that rested on the back on the couch. He lied down on the couch and threw the blanket over him. He laid there, with his eyes closed, thinking about Melinda. He thought about Melinda for a long time, so long that when he finally fell asleep, he began to dream about her.

He was woken up by the sound of pounding at the door. He got up and looked out the window. He saw a very familiar man, standing at their door. Jim walked over to the door and opened it for him. Jim found himself looking at, a very frantic, David Campbell.

"Jim...can I come in?" He asked gesturing to their living room.

"Of course." Jim said, widening the door for him to step inside. "...So...what's going on?"

"I'm gonna cut right to the chase." Jim closed the door and walked up to Detective Campbell. "I think I know where your wife is."

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** Author's note:** :O Next chapter continues directly from this one. Don't expect Mel until chapter 8. Review!


	7. Willing and able

**Author's note:** Sorry this chapter is s short, guys. I still think you'll like it. In this chapter, we will unravel something very important to this story. This chapter continues right after chapter 6, so go back and re-read if you forgot, or read it for the first time. Enjoy. Don't forget to review.

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"What do you mean, 'you know where my wife is'?...Is-is she okay? Is she hurt?" Jim asked Detective Campbell.

"That I can't tell you..." David sighs. "About two years ago...I was involved in a case just like this one...Anyway, it was a young girl...who went missing. She was missing for six weeks until they found her."

"Dead...or alive?"

"...Dead..." He whispered. "Everything about that case is the same as this one...except for one thing..."

"What?"

"The young girl had her cellphone with her...she never did call for help, though. Her captors must've taken it from her."

"What makes you say that?"

David leaned in closer to Jim. "Because, every week, a video would be sent out to all of her contacts on her phone."

"What kind of videos?"

"Videos of these two men- the same men everytime... they'd wear these...weird masks...their voices would be distorted...they almost looked like the devil...one of them had '666' tatooed on his right hand...and the videos would be of them...beating her...and raping her." Jim was stopped cold by David's words. "It was really horrible..."

"A-a-and you're sure these are the same guys?" Jim asked, terrified.

"Well...no...I'm not sure...but it's a possiblity."

Jim sighed a big sigh. "And you never caught these guys?"

"Well...no. After her body was found it became a cold case."

"Why?"

"An officer of the law requested it."

"That didn't seem even a little suspicious to you?"

"It did! Hell, I even tried to go to go to court to re-open the case, but the department never gave me his name...It couldn't put the tag on him."

"We have to find this guy...the only reason anyone would want to close the case was to stop the police from finding out who the killer was. He find this guy...we find the killer."

"We can't. The department took his name off the radar...he's impossible to find."

"How badly do you want to find this guy?"

"More than anything."

"I have plan, but you gotta be willing to do this."

"Lay it on me."

Jim and David are in the records room of the police station. All the lights are off except for the two flashlights that they are carrying.

"This is wrong."

"Hey, I wanna find my wife alive, and you want to get revenge on this guy...we both need to be here."

"I- I could lose my badge for this."

"Yeah? And I could lose my wife...which is more important?"

Jim continued flipping through files. "What's the case file?"

"12993-2012"

"Ah...here we go...'Stephanie Murphy'." Jim opens the file and flips through the papers.

"I should go." David said, heading toward the door.

"Fine...go...I'll find what I need. And I'll find my wife, and you'll never find this killer...go ahead and walk out that door."

"Are you blackmailing me?"

"Call it whatever you want."

"So...you don't care about finding this killer, do you? All you want is to find your wife, and you don't care who you step on along the way?"

"I'm just doing what it takes to save my family. And if that means I have to step on a few toes to do it...so be it."

"You...ass. You're and ass, Jim! You're gonna let this guy roam the streets to kill more innocent people...and you don't care...as long as you save your wife?"

"Absolutely."

"You're insane."

"Call me whatever you like, Dave."

"What if this guy comes after her again? What are you gonna do then?"

"Look, if you don't stay, you don't find this guy's name...without his name...you can't find the killer. EIther way. I find what 'm looking for."

"Not if I report you!"

"Go ahead...you think I care?"

Jim walks up to David. "Can you live with that on your conscience? You put away the only guy who can find this killer...this is the only way we can figure this out...You're going to spend the rest of your life wondering how much better it would be if you weren't consumed--obsessed with this case. I am willing to do whateve it takes for my family--for my wife and kids...we are able to find this guy and bring him down...but if you aren't willing to take this risk...this one little risk that could cost you your job...or sanity...Then walk out that door, and don't come back." David stood there a moment, not saying a word. Jim turned back around to the files. "Whatever." He whispered to himself.

"You're looking at the wrong file...it's the one next to it."

"Jim turned back around to see David behind him, pointing at a file on the shelf. Jim picked it up and read the name outloud.

"Denise...Campbell..." Jim looked at David in shock.

"You're right...Protecting your family is the most important thing in the world. You're willing to do it...but I couldn't."

"I don't understand."

"Jim, what your wife did to protect her family was noble. And what you're doing is remarkable...but I wasn't there to protect Denise...I couldn't handle being a bad parent...letting my daughter be killed...it was all too much. I didn't think my family could handle other people talking about it...the press...That's why I requested the case be closed."

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**Author's note:** I'm so proud. lol, i didn't have to edit my story at all. :) Next chapter might be hard to read. I'm warning you. Review, please. :)


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